The first casualty of war is innocence.

Starring: Tom Berenger, Willem Dafoe, Charlie Sheen, Keith David, Forest Whitaker, Francesco Quinn, Kevin Dillon, John C. McGinley, Reggie Johnson

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"Somebody once wrote: "Hell is the impossibility of reason." That's what this place feels like Hell." - Chris Taylor

Why watch this? This is the apogee of Vietnam films. It's gut-wrenching.

Plot Summary: Vietnam in 1967 sees a young American, Chris Taylor, leave a privileged life to volunteer for infantry combat. Thrust into the heart of the jungle, he quickly confronts the brutal reality of warfare and the disillusionment that follows. As the conflict intensifies, Taylor finds himself caught between two conflicting ideologies represented by his sergeants, one embodying ruthlessness and the other compassion.

Dad's Preview: This is Chris Taylor's journey through war in Vietnam. He leaves college and enlists in the infantry (most infantry soldiers were not in college). His platoon becomes embroiled in an internal civil struggle between the brutal Sgt. Barnes and compassionate Sgt. Elias. Tom Berenger's portrayal of Barnes is one of the most powerful I have ever scene on film. The war scenes are intense, harrowing, and almost too real. One can easily see how experiencing that war would seriously damage the men who came home.

Hemdale Film Corporation; Orion Pictures